New categories, new deadline—the 2024 IFAJ Star Prize is now open to individual entries.
Deadlines have been extended to April 1 to enter the 2024 IFAJ Star Prize contest. The 2024 IFAJ Star Prize allows all journalists who belong to an IFAJ member guild in good standing will be able to participate in this extraordinary contest.
There are no entry fees. All works must be submitted in English or be accompanied by an English translation.
New Categories
The 2024 IFAJ Star Prize contest features an entirely new structure organized by category rather than by medium.
To apply for the following categories, entrants must submit agriculture-related work that has been published in digital, print, video, radio, or photographic formats.
The categories are:
- Innovation
- Sustainability
- Technology
- Trade, economics or global issues
- Rural culture
Trouble Deciding?
IFAJ Secretary-General Addy Rossi offers these guidelines for selecting the best category for an entry:
Innovation: Reporting whose theme revolves around the application of new technologies or tactics in the agri-food sector: breakthroughs in the tools that farmers for food producers use, creative applications of existing technologies, or new approaches to familiar processes. Creative use of tools sets Innovation apart from the Technology section.
Sustainability: the works presented must have as their theme sustainability within the agri-food sector, from an economic, social and/or environmental point of view.
Technology: Reporting that highlights the importance of technology linked to the agri-food sector; both in production, industrialization, trade and marketing. The key here is employing tools to make farming or food production more efficient, sustainable or productive.
Trade, economics or global issues: if your work relates economic, financial or business aspects linked to the production or sale of agri-food in the world, this is your category.
Rural Culture: this category is intended for the presentation of works that show the culture and/or customs of each region when producing or consuming food and agricultural products.
There’s More!
After category winners are selected, judges will review the entries to award prizes for the year’s best:
- Photography
- Video
- Audio
- Digital Media
IFAJ will also will recognize the Journalist of the Year, chosen from among the winners of all categories.
“We have expanded the universe of eligible stories and productions,” said Rossi. “There is no longer a limit on the number of participants from each member guild. Now everyone can participate, and you or your work can be chosen as the best in the world in the field of agricultural journalism.”
Visit ifaj.org/contests-and-awards/ for details and rules for each category, as well as the registration form.
Lorne McClinton receiving IFAJ Star Prize for Photography 2023.